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Posts by Liz C

The other Kennedy

Cover of Kick Kennedy: The Charmed
A review of Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter by Barbara Leaming

Very interesting look at the life of Kathleen Kennedy. I knew her name but that was about all before I started reading this biography on the recommendation of a friend. Kick and her brother Joe Jr. had a lot in common as favorites of their father Joseph Kennedy, they both had in many ways a silver spoon existence with a lot given to them materially and in status. But along with that came the pressure to live up to their father’s expectations, and yet somehow also establish themselves as individuals. And World War II gave them both the chance to do so.

Jul 26, 2022

Shaped by our world

Cover of Deep Creek: Finding Hope i
A review of Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston

I am an urbanite to the bone, I like the bustle, noise and plethora of activities available. I do not hike, camp, fish, backpack, etc. because for one insects (one and all) appear to think I am the best buffet they have ever come across. I am allergic to wool (that natural fabric so often used in outdoor life); at best it gives me a rash—at its worst if there are loose fibers floating around, I have come close to not breathing.

Jan 11, 2022

Escape from Hollywood

Cover of Marilyn in Manhattan: Her
A review of Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Year of Joy by Elizabeth Winter

In November 1954 Marilyn Monroe escaped from Hollywood, leaving behind the very public end of her marriage to Joe DiMaggio and the humiliations forced on her by Zanuck and Fox Studios. Leaving with her friend and photographer Milton Greene, Marilyn was determined to recreate herself in New York City as something more than a blonde bombshell.

Nov 4, 2021

Portals to the unknown

Cover of Exit West
A review of Exit West by Moshin Hamid

Nadia and Saeed first meet at a class; slowly we are drawn into their world in an unnamed country teetering between a secular government and a fundamentalist takeover. They fall in love and hope to have a normal life in their country, but as things get more and more dangerous they begin to search for a way out.

Aug 6, 2021

Find your cohort

Cover of Fandom: Fic Writers, Vidde
A review of Fandom: Fic Writers, Vidders, Gamers, Artists, and Cosplayers by Francesca Davis DiPiazza

This is written for teen readers, but actually a good overview for anyone interested in the alternate world that is fandom. Included are brief interviews with fic writers, as well as short histories or back stories of how fandom evolved ranging from masquerades to Arthur Conan Doyle to Star Trek (which really increased both the number of people involved and the visibility of fandom in popular culture).

Jul 30, 2021

Start at the beginning

Cover of Saint's Gate
A review of Saint's Gate by Carla Neggers

I have been meaning to read the Sharpe and Donovan series by Carla Neggers for a long time, but somehow just didn't get to it. Well, now that I have read the first one (free e-book from the library) I will positively be getting more.

Mar 4, 2021

Power of food

Cover of The Taste of Empire: How B
A review of The Taste of Empire: How Britain's Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World by E. M. Collingham

This is really an amazing book. It's easy to read as each chapter looks at a specific time period and specific food, but cumulatively there is a lot of information to absorb. The Western world does not come out looking all that good since, in their desire to benefit a few, they ran roughshod over the bodies of a lot of people all over the world. Not that the rest of the world have angelic histories, but because Western countries pride themselves on their culture and education and when looking at the details it doesn't look so swell.

Oct 21, 2020

Different leadership

Cover of The Splendid and the Vile:
A review of The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

A behind the scenes look at the private life and idiosyncrasies of Winston Churchill and his circle during his first year as Prime Minister balanced with a behind the scenes look at Hitler’s circle especially Hess, Goring, and Himmler. At one point Larson references a letter from a man lamenting how the press of his position and duties limit him from not doing what he would prefer to do—which is spend time in the country with his wife and children. The writer was Heinrich Himmler.

Jun 8, 2020

Backstage at the Palace

Cover of Lady in Waiting: My Extrao
A review of Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner

As the daughter of the Earl of Leicester the author has lived a life in a culture of social elites, in many ways a culture that has mostly vanished except for that of the British royal family. A great deal of the book looks at the author’s family, how things are done and not done in their tradition. Following a family tradition of directly working with the royal family, Anne Glenconner served as a Lady in Waiting for Princess Margaret from 1971-2002 and a good portion of the book details that period.

May 26, 2020

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